Sweedish singer, songwriter, and producer, Kevin Forest, is no stranger to reaping the rewards of their labor. Having spent nearly the entirety of their life developing their musical talents, they continuously find a way to create new art that seems to come straight from their soul. This week celebrates another milestone in the artist’s career as they debut the latest EP in their already respectable discography “After Nexus,” a collection with a genuinely unique and sentimental sensibility. The title track from the record, “Nexus” sets the tone for the album and allows the listener to sink into the immersive experience that is Forest’s music.
A series of synth accouterments appear and slowly increase in volume to begin the piece, setting an ominous yet intriguing mood. Forest’s voice appears soon after to begin the narrative with the words “Every night I try to stay on this wave. Baby girl, please stay, you can’t just run away.”
The lyrics are performed with a hauntingly earnest poetic delivery and emphatic punctuation on the downbeat, leading to a rhythmic and almost hypnotic effect that draws the listener in and keeps them on the edge of their seats for the duration of the album.
The artist’s vocal rage proves a stunning an absolute minimum. Signing largely in a falsetto register for most of the piece, there is a distinct baritone quality to the vocal tone that juxtaposes with the higher end of the artist’s range. The resulting merit and achievement of this talent quite literally speaks for itself.
The culminating listening experience of Forest’s music is similar to that of The Weeknd during their years surrounding “Trilogy,” and features a full-bodied voice set to lightly stimulating electronic accompaniment delivering messages of similar provocative tenderness.
Written by Nick Gumas
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